Description: The Searcher is a multi mission tactical Unmanned Air System (UAS) used for surveillance, reconnaissance, target acquisition, artillery adjustment and damage assessment and developed by IAI in the 1990s. It was designed to meet present and future requirements for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in support of the Israel Air Force as well as export customers. The air vehicle design provides excellent engine and aerodynamics performance and handling qualities while the ground control station was designed to provide compatibility with other UAV systems produced by Israel. So far the Searcher family includes the Mk I, Mk II and Mk III models.

The Searcher air vehicles are equipped with electro-optical and infrared sensors (EO/IR) delivering real-time imagery and video collected over the battlefield or hostile territory. Besides, it can be fitted with a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) replacing the EO/IR sensors. Communications and control between the UAV and the ground control center are done via a line-of-sight datalink or an airborne data relay for beyond line of sight operations. In the event of communications via datalink are lost the air vehicle will return automatically to its base. The Searcher's takeoff and landing operations do not require the operator because they are fully automated.

The Searcher Mk II, also known as Searcher II, UAV was deployed with the Israel Air Force in the 2000s carrying out ground surveillance missions replacing its predecessor the Searcher Mk I. The air vehicle can remain airborne for 15 hours at ranges of 250 kilometers carrying a 100 kg payload. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has exported the Searcher II to Russia and Spain in the 2008-2010 timeframe.

Operators & Related Equipment

Russia2Unmanned aerial system purchased along with Bird Eye 400 and I-view MK150 UAVs in April 2009 to meet the requirements for tactical reconnaissance UAVs to provide reliable battlefield intelligence. The lack of such capability was a grave deficiency experienced by the Russian Armed Forces during the South Ossetia conflict against Georgia in August 2008.